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2015 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2015.

Events

  • January 15 – Parodist Cledus T. Judd announces his retirement from the performing aspect of the music business.
  • February 27 – Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher give birth to their son, Isaiah Michael Fisher.
  • March 4 – Shania Twain announces that her Rock This Country tour will be her last but that she intends to continue releasing albums
  • April – A new syndicated radio program, American Country Countdown Rewind with Bob Kingsley, consisting of Kingsley-hosted ACC programs from 1990–2005, is announced by Nash FM (the media brand and network of country music stations owned by Cumulus Media). The first programs aired the weekend of May 2.
  • May 26 – Radio consultant Keith Hill is criticized when stating in an interview that music stations should limit the airplay of female country artists. The story, dubbed Tomato-gate is further ignited when Hill compares female artists to that of "tomatoes in a salad". In response, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, and Jennifer Nettles criticize Hill's comments via social media.
  • June 15 – Country Weekly is rebranded as Nash Country Weekly, as part of a co-branding with Nash FM's radio product.
  • June 19 – Almost a year after successfully recovering from cervical cancer, Joey Martin Feek of Joey + Rory is diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer.
  • June 22 – With "Love Me Like You Mean It", Kelsea Ballerini becomes the first female artist to send her debut single to No. 1 on Country Airplay since Carrie Underwood did in 2006, and the first female artist to do so on an independent label.
  • July 9 – Luke Bryan causes controversy in an interview with "HITS Double Daily" for implying that Outlaw country artists (particularly Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson) spent their career "laying in the gutter, strung out on drugs." Bryan would later call Jennings' widow Jessi Colter, as well as Haggard's son, Ben, to apologize.
  • July 18 – "Girl Crush" by Little Big Town makes country music history by breaking the record of weeks spent at number 1 by a group of three or more members, surpassing the current record holders The Browns and their song The Three Bells.
  • July 20 – Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton announce their divorce after four years of marriage.
  • August 3 – Reba McEntire announces the separation from long-time husband and manager Narvel Blackstock. Although they will be ending their marriage, they will continue to support one another professionally.
  • September 25 – Kenny Rogers announces his plans to retire following a Christmas album and a 2016 farewell tour
  • September 27 – Producer Dave Brainard is hospitalized after being found unconscious with a broken jaw from a beating.
  • October – Joey Martin Feek of Joey + Rory ends treatment for stage IV colorectal cancer after treatments fail to control growth of tumors.
  • November 2 – Chris Cagle announces his retirement from the music business.
  • November 4 - Chris Stapleton becomes an overnight sensation after his performance with Justin Timberlake of "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Drink You Away" at the Country Music Association Awards; the performance is considered the best of the show, and one of the best performances in CMA history. Stapleton wins New Artist, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Traveller.
  • November 9 – Joey Martin Feek of Joey and Rory enters Hospice care after terminal cancer diagnosis
  • November 21- Jean Shepard celebrates her 60th Grand Ole Opry anniversary

Top hits of the year

The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay or Canada Country charts in 2015:

Singles released by American artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Top new album releases

The following albums placed on the Top Country Albums charts in 2015:

Other top albums

Deaths

Hall of Fame inductees

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Major awards

Academy of Country Music

(presented April 3, 2016 in Las Vegas)

ACM Honors

Americana Music Honors & Awards

American Music Awards

(presented November 22 in Los Angeles)

ARIA Awards

(presented in Sydney on November 26, 2015)

Canadian Country Music Association

(presented September 13 in Halifax)

  • Fans' Choice Award – Johnny Reid
  • Male Artist of the Year – Gord Bamford
  • Female Artist of the Year – Jess Moskaluke
  • Group or Duo of the Year – High Valley
  • Songwriter(s) of the Year – "Where a Farm Used to Be", written by Gord Bamford, Buddy Owens and Phil O'Donnell
  • Single of the Year – "Where a Farm Used to Be", Gord Bamford
  • Album of the Year – Lifted, Dallas Smith
  • Top Selling Album – Crash My Party, Luke Bryan
  • Top Selling Canadian Album – Yoan, Yoan
  • CMT Video of the Year – "Upside Down", Dean Brody
  • Rising Star Award – Madeline Merlo
  • Roots Artist or Group of the Year – Lindi Ortega
  • Interactive Artist of the Year – Brett Kissel

Country Music Association

(presented November 4 in Nashville)

CMT Music Awards

(presented June 10 in Nashville)

CMT Artists of the Year <br> (presented on December 2, 2015)

Grammy Awards

(presented February 15, 2016 in Los Angeles)

Juno Awards

(presented April 3, 2016 in Calgary)

References

Other links